For those who like the look, it’s the finest Victory luxury touring experience. Under the revolutionary form lies what is probably the most comfortable bike on the road. Features include: Cruise control and linked ABS braking. 29 gallons of lockable storage. Fixed fairing provides maximum wind and weather protection. Push-button powered height-adjustable windshield. Dual-zone heated seats with individual pilot/passenger controls and high/low settings. Heated handlebar grips with high/low settings. Plush touring seat with 4″ (10.16cm) of cushion. –Low, 26.5″ (673mm) seat height. Available in Gloss Black and two all-new colors for 2014: White Metallic and Nuclear Sunset Orange.

The Victory Cross Country Tour

The Cross Country Tour is loaded with features to enhance every mile. Ingeniously designed and purpose-shaped bodywork keeps you as protected or vented as you want to be thanks to the “Comfort Control System” with adjustable upper and lower wind deflectors and sculpted hard lowers. Cruise control and ABS braking. Air-pump adjustable preload mono-shock. There is plenty of room for everything in 41.1 gallons of weather-protected storage space. 5.8-gallon (22.0-liter) fuel tank to stretch the horizons. Huge pilot’s floorboards with adjustable foot controls and adjustable-height passenger floorboards. Dual-zone heated seat and heated grips with high/low function. Three 12V power sockets. AM/FM, weather-band radio with iPod® integration and full-function controls at your fingertips. In addition to Gloss Black, two new colors for 2014: Two-Tone Goldrush & Black with a pinstriped detail and Two-Tone Sonic Blue & Silver.

As a designer I still have a fondness in my heart for the unapologetic boldness of the Vision. There is very little nostalgic or mainstream about it. Unlike most American cruisers it largely ignores tradition & past and looks only ahead to carve it’s own future. Probably too far ahead for many people’s comfort zone but the American motorcycle industry needs some progressive vision (no pun intended) because eventually there may be a day where we run out of retro to recycle 😉

The Cross Country Tour is still my favorite though. IMO it bridges the gap between the performance/value driven metric baggers and the patriotic/retro focused Glides.

Another funny thing, the crybabies whine if it looks too much like a Harley and call it a copycat. And then they bitch and moan if someone has the audacity to make a bike that’s not a Harley look-a-like. But funniest thing of all is all the bitching and whining…none of it is about how the bike rides. Is it slow? Does it have crappy brakes? Can it not handle in the sweepers? Does it leak, break down, unreliable? I guess we know who rides and who trailers their garage queen.

Victory does put out some fine motorcycles and the Vision is one of these with one major design flaw – the front fender is two piece made of plastic. The rear plastic part will break where it connects to the forks, come lose and jam itself into the fairing and lock up the steering. It happened to me and many others. You can read about it on this thread. Victory has decided that this is not a safety concern for its’ riders and claims that it is normal wear and tear – REALLY? Read for yourself and decide for yourself……

I have only heard 2 people that understand the design importance of the Vision, Matt W. and another guy that I met at a HD dealer.
As a Vision rider I am VERY happy with my bike, I like the looks, the comforts, the ride, etc.

That being said, I really like the trunk of the Cross Country, the rear tail lights, also the fairing looks great. I also love the forged crash bars(are they still available?). It’s a mix of the old and new.

“I have only heard 2 people that understand the design importance of the Vision, Matt W. and another guy that I met at a HD dealer. ”
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Nah… we’re only having fun. As long as it has two-wheels, it’s one of ours. Everybody liking something different is what makes it all go around.

Sorry – I guess I am not supposed to post links on this blog. I did get permission from this site’s administrator to list the websites that provide more details on the Vision Fender safety issuer Here is a list of websites that provide more details (The Vog is a dot net site and the rest are dot com sites)

TheVog
TheVMS
Vision-Riders
VictoryForums

I am wondering if Cryril has heard of this safety concern and has any opinion of it? Just a thought.

I agree…UGLY. WAY glad none of these design points made it to the Indians. I’ve heard owners LOVE the ride but I can’t get past the looks. This is as bad as having a Pontiac Aztek but “loving the ride”. YUK!

I don’t like futuristic styling on motorcycles in general. My point of reference for standard or normal styling is the 1970s or 1980s motorcycle. Some would call that retro, I call it normal — it’s simply a tank, a seat, an engine, fenders, and wheels; and the frame should not be overly exposed. Flowing, curved lines. Nothing that protrudes offensively or too angular. That’s the way a motorcycle should look. OK, if it’s a touring bike, add some hard bags, a fairing, and maybe a little bodywork.

Victory has a lot of plastic bodywork on its bikes. Still, it seems to me that the styling on Victory’s touring models works better than the styling on its cruisers (styling that I would call forced or trying too hard). These touring Victorys do not follow the Harley paradigm at all, but rather take a streamlined look at the future without appearing strangely alien or insect-esque, like many modern European and Japanese bikes.

The Edsel was a great car but was but failed to sell,
Now look how much they cost ( Not are worth)
The Hesketh failed but it was and is is still a good looking motorcycle.
(gear box problems)
I have never ridden a Vision so cannot really comment on the bike but
I will say this I try not to knock other peoples motorcycles.
I like mine the best but everyones bike is their pride and joy.
Thats what makes motorcycling one of the great lifestyle come sport or
what ever you call it .We all talk to each other no matter what we ride.
That is what I love most about the social side of this life we live.
Snobbery does not cut it if you are a true Motorcyclist.

Matt your comments are true !! but that does not change reality of the here and now !!
Motorcyclists are very conservative,yet we transport our selves around on a
totaly stupid ridiculous machine that if invented today would be outlawed from
the roads.It’s bloody marvelous !!

Too much plastic! The Vision is starting to look like one of those big scooters that are now in production. If you need all these luxury items,
Cruise Control
Pushbutton height adjustable windshields
“Dual Zone” heated seats
Heated grips
Adjustable foot controls
Am/FM/Xm/weather band radio
Ipod integrations
Saddle bag liners, etc
in order to enjoy biking, then I think you should seriously consider getting a small convertible and be done with it!
(this goes for all the big Harley Davidson loaded up models , also)

Most of the Victory tourer buyers are forrmely Gold Wing riders. It’s a fact. Most readers here are American v-twin bikers. It explains the negative comments.
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While I can’t really get next to the looks of the Vision or Cross Country (I think it’s the lines of the tail trunk), they don’t get much more American V-Twin than Victory…Just sayin!

While not a former Wing owner, I would like to be! LOL
If the Honda F6B was built by an American Company I would be riding one.
I am hoping that eventually Victory or Indian goes in that direction. While I am not a HD hater, I just don’t like the looks of most of their bikes. When was younger I wanted an HD sooo bad, now that I can afford one, I don’t have the desire to own a late model . I do own 2 Shovels, but I don’t believe they are comparable to a late model bikes.

I have owned Harley’s and every other bike you can imagine in my 46 years on 2 wheels. when I move to Idaho 5 years ago I had my Victory Vision , a custom Harley Davidson and a Sims 131. I kept the vision and sold the others. In my opinion it is the best handling bike on the road today. I can keep up and pass the rice rockets on the Twistys and I can ride ta 1000 miles without being crippled up to the next week. some people don’t like the looks but I have gone in to 2 Harley Davidson sponsored bike shows and taken best of show and best bagger. I have 13 trophys and I get more positive comments about my bike from people than I have on any other bike. Putting looks aside go into a Victory dealer when the Victory truck is there and ride one. Make a decision from experience don’t talk from ignorance talk from the knowledge of actually riding one. I’ve converted 8 Harley riders to Visions because they handle better than any bike on the road.

I’ve had the same shovel for 25 years. Test rode a vision last spring and loved it. Sounded like a sewing machine. Encased in plastic. Handled great, great suspension, great engine, no leaks. The mention of the front fender is the first legitimate, non opinion based concern I’ve seen.

Above posting says….”While I can’t really get next to the looks of the Vision or Cross Country (I think it’s the lines of the tail trunk), they don’t get much more American V-Twin than Victory…Just sayin”

I think there is a more American V-Twin. It’s the Harley Davidson. It’s the quintessential American V-twin having just celebrated it’s 110th birthday.

I should say that most if not all the negative comments about Victory are about the styling etc. Not too many negative remarks about the way it rides, handles etc.

Been riding the XC for a few years now and love it more every day. A solid machine I would feel comfortable pulling out of the garage right now and heading cross country on. I don’t understand the ‘plastic’ comments. It has the same plastic side covers and trunk as any touring HD. Fenders and tank are steel. The trunk is a quick release trunk so for everyday riding mine stays in the garage although I do like the speakers that are in it. Makes for a nice surround sound when cruising. In the old days when I was more of a purist, even a windshield would make me cringe, but now as a youngish baby boomer I’m fine with the bells and whistles. I’m glad Victory is backed by an established company with deep pockets so I know the Victory is here to stay; right along with the return of the Indian.

I have a vision, an Ultra, and a Big Dog Ridgedback and each are great bikes. But for comfort and distance I will take the vision any day of the week! For those of you oldsters that are stuck with only one design, I appreciate your narrow mindedness, but try to accept the times are changing and the day of the traditional HD leaking on the garage floor may be a thing of the past.

Dave Smith seriously? Who cares how a bike rides? Who cares if it’s reliable, breaks down, leaks, can’t brake or handle the sweepers? Really none of that matters? All that matters is what the bike looks like? Well I guess the small caveat is I’ll be able to ride away from the real posers as they’re coming to pound the crap out of me for not caring that they don’t like the looks of my bike. I guess some of us say we don’t care what others think and some of us actually mean it.

I just test drove a Cross Tour off the demo truck
If you’re on here talking smack it’s because you’ve never been on one.
Power is great rides like it’s on a rail, what’s not to like.
Yes, the Vision is very polarizing either you luv it or you hate it
No, it’s not my cup of tea, but I’ve talked to plenty of people who own one
& they would not trade you 2 H-D’s or any other bike for it